Paper clip

ABSTRACT

A PAPER CLIP HAVING IMPROVED GRIPPING AND HOLDING CHARACTERISTICS. THE IMPROVED CLIP IS FORMED FROM A LENGTH OF WIRE JOINED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS INTO A CLOSED OR CONTINUOUS ELEMENT. THE CLIP IS SYMMETRICAL WITH TWO TELESCOPED BRIGHT PORTIONS, USUALLY OF U-SHAPED, JOINED BY   A PAIR OF LOOP SECTIONS EACH INTERCONNECTING ONE LEG OF ONE BIGHT TO ONE LEG OF THE OTHER BIGHT.

G. A. CHAPLIN Feb. 23, 1971 PAPER CLIP Filed Feb. 24

INVENTOR. GENEVIEVE A. CHAPLIN.

SETTLE, BATCHELDER 8 OLTMl-W.

ATT'YS.

United States Patent Ofice 3,564,674 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 3,564,674 PAPER CLIP Genevieve A. Chaplin, Detroit, Mich., assignor of onehalf to Albin Chaplin, Detroit, Mich. Filed Feb. 24, 1969, Ser. No. 801,693 Int. Cl. A44b 21/00 US. Cl. 24-261 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper clip having improved gripping and holding characteristics. The improved clip is formed from a length of wire joined at its opposite ends into a closed or continuous element. The clip is symmetrical with two telescoped bight portions, usually of U-shaped, joined by a pair of loop sections each interconnecting one leg of one bight to one leg of the other bight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The gripping or holding force of the conventional paper clip is developed primarily by torsion, and by virtue of its design falls short of maximum efficiency. This can best be observed by applying a conventional paper clip to a fairly thick sheaf of paper and looking at the applied clip along its longitudinal axis. A generally U-shaped portion of the clip lies on each side of the sheaf, each having one free leg and one leg which is connected around the edge of the sheaf to the opposite leg of the other U portion. It will be observed that the free legs of each of the U-shaped portions lie flat against the paper, while the two connected legs engage the paper only near the edge of the sheaf. Looking at the applied clip lengthwise from the clipped edge of the sheaf, it is apparent that a torsional force is present tending to urge the interconnecting bight which passes over the edge of the sheaf into parallelism with the edge of the sheaf. Observing the clip from the side, while the two free legs lie fiat against the paper, the two connected legs diverge in their extent away from the edge of the sheaf, thus indicating the presence of another torsional force about an axis at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the clip.

The opposed gripping forces are thus represented by two force couples applied to the opposite sides of the sheets, each of which consists of an inwardly directed force at one side applied at a point (where the connected leg engages the paper near the edge of the sheaf) and the other along a line at which the free leg lies against the paper. Thus, most of the force applied along the leg of the free side of the U-shaped portion is ineffective since there is no force opposed to the opposite side of the paper to react with it. Further, the point force applied by the connected leg of the U is directly opposed by the end of the free leg of the U on the opposite side of the sheaf, the most ineffective possible location.

Further, any torsional forces developed about the axes of the free legs of the U are ineffective because one end of this leg is free and unconnected and thus does not develop any resistance to torsional forces within the free leg itself.

The clip of the present invention is specifically designed to make maximum utilization of all forces developed by distortion of the clip from its original configuration when the clip is applied to a sheaf of paper.

Various objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification and to the drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one form of clip embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the clip of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a modified form of clip;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another modified form of clip;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of another modification of the clip;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the clip of FIG. 1 applied to a sheaf of paper; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the clip applied to a sheaf of paper.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, in one preferred form of the invention, the clip designated generally 10 is formed with a first U-shaped gripping portion having parallel legs 12 interconnected at their lower end by a bight 14. A pair of outwardly extending loops designated generally 16 interconnect the upper ends of legs 12 to the legs 18 of a second U-shaped gripping portion. The ends of the single length of wire from which the clip of FIG. 1 is formed are overlapped and joined to each other in the bight region 20 of the second U-shaped portion by a crimped metal clip such as 22. i

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the clip 10 of FIG. 1 is formed so that the clip lies within a single common general plane, and as is apparent from FIG. 1 is symmetrical within this plane about a central vertical axis of symmetry, with the minor exception of the overlapped ends of the clip at fastener 22.

Instead of employing a fastening clip, such as 22, to join the two ends of the wire, the overlapped ends may be brazed or otherwise bonded permanently to each other. The joining of the ends of the wire to each other, as at 22, increases the gripping or holding action of the clip, because it permits oppositely directed torsional forces along the axes of-legs 18 to react against each other. As

will be apparent from an inspection of the alternative forms of clip, this joint is most advantageously made in the bight which defines the outer periphery of the clip, since this point is more distant from the paper edge when the clip is applied than is the inner of the two bights, hence the torsional force at the lower end of legs 18 is less than at the lower ends of the shorter legs 12.

The gripping action of the clip is best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. Referring particularly to FIG. 6, when the clip is applied to a sheaf of paper, the effect is as if legs 18 of the clip were held firmly against a fiat surface and bight portion 14 were lifted. This action would tend to exert a torsional force along upper portions 24 of loop 16, as well as a lifting action on sections 24 at their juncture with legs 12. As best seen in FIG. 6, when applied to a sheaf of paper, the net effect is to also induce a second torsional effect about an axis passing through loop 16 in a direction parallel to legs 12.

The primary points of engagement of the clip with the paper are, for legs 18, the region of juncture 26 between the upper ends of legs 18 and loops 16 and, for the legs 12, in general that portion of the length of legs 12 between sections 24 and the points on legs 12 immediately adjacent sections 26 of leg 18. Since the gripping force exerted by those portions of legs 12 above junctures 26 on legs 18 is unopposed, the sheaf of paper typically will be dished in slightly by the clip between the upper ends of legs 12 as at 28 (FIGS. 6 and 7). At the point at which loop 16 merges into legs 18 at juncture 26, the gripping forces exerted by legs 12 are directly opposed by those exerted by legs 18, and all of the forces developed by the distortion of the clip are effectively applied at two points G (FIGS. 1 and 7). By concentrating the gripping force over a relatively small area, an extremely firm grip is ap plied to the sheaf of paper.

Referring to FIG. 6, it will be noted that since loops 16 are distorted, this distortion will apply a torsional force to each of legs 12, the forces being oppositely directed to the respective legs, and thus reacting with each other at bight 14 to add their effect to the gripping action of the clip. A similar action is also present with legs 18, the reaction being present because of the interconnection of the two ends of the wire at the joining point at clip 22.

In FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, alternate forms of the invention are disclosed. FIGS. 3 and 4 are similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 and, in one sense differ from FIG. 1 in the relationship between the location of the loops 16a (FIG. 3) and 16b (FIG. 4) relative to the legs of the clip. Similar reference numerals have been employed in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponding to those of FIG. 1, the subscript a being employed in connection with the FIG. 3 embodiment and the subscript b being employed in the FIG. 4 embodiment. In both cases, the area at which the gripping force is exerted when the clip is used is indicated at G. It will be noted that in FIGS. 3 and 4 these gripping regions are spaced from each other by successively greater distances as compared to the spacing between the two gripping areas G in FIG. 1, this increased spacing tending to minimize the dishing of the edge of the gripped sheaf of paper indicated at 28 in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Still another form of clip is illustrated in FIG. 5, this latter embodiment being generally similar to FIG. 1 with the exception that the legs 180 are divergent from each other. In FIG. 5, reference numerals with the subscript c are employed corresponding to those of FIG. 1 to indicate corresponding elements. In the FIG. 5 embodiment, it will be noted that the juncture 26c between the loops 16c and legs 18c is closely adjacent the legs 12c, and that the legs 18c diverge rather abruptly from this particular point. The net effect of this arrangement is to somewhat decrease the area over which the gripping force is applied, since the only opposing point between the two gripping portions of the clip is at the relatively small region presented by the curved portion at juncture 26, while in the preceding embodiments the legs extend parallel to each other and overlap to a much greater exent. The enlarged curved regions 30 of the bight 200 of the FIG. 5 embodiment, together with the divergency of legs 18 permit this particular configuration to absorb the torsional forces in the legs 18c by virtue of the engagement of the enlarged bight portion with the surface of the paper sheaf.

While various embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that further modifications may be made. Therefore, the

4 foregoing description is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A paper clip of resilient wire-like material having a first U-shaped portion symmetrical about a line of symmetry, a closed loop portion extending integrally from the upper end of each leg of said U-shaped portion and each terminating in a leg portion abutting the outer side of each leg of the first U-shaped portion along a distance thereof, and a connecting portion passing around the bight of said first U-shapcd portion from the termination of one loop to the termination of the other loop to thereby form a second U-shaped portion surrounding said first U-shaped portion and having a bight section spaced from the bight of said first U-shaped portion along said line of symmetry, said loops and said second U-shaped portion being symmetrical about said line of symmetry and said first and second U-shaped portion of said loops lying in a common plane containing said line of symmetry.

2. A paper clip as defined in claim 1 formed from a length of wire-like material having its opposite ends fixedly secured to each other at a point of the bight section of said second U-shaped portion crossed by said line of symmetry.

3. A paper clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said second U-shaped portion has parallel legs in adjacent longitudinal abutting co-planar realtionship with at least a portion of the legs of said first U-shaped portion.

4. A clip as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said loop portion lies inwardly of said line of symmetry from the legs of said first U-shaped portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 753,613 3/1904 McGill 24-261PC 764,719 7/1904 Gorton 24261PC 802,262 10/1905 Brooks 24261PC 3,057,028 10/1962 Lorber 2467.9

FOREIGN PATENTS 457,163 3/ 1928 Germany 24261PC 8,475 1902 Great Britain 24261PC 585,836 2/1947 Great Britain 24139 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

